Killer Queen: Tyrant, prepare to die!

Chapter 58 Abandoned Disciple of Baixiaotang Kneels: Master, Please Accept Me!

The carriage pulled into a secluded roadside inn as dusk fell.

The shop was run-down, with a faded lantern bearing the character "宿" (suo, meaning lodging) hanging at the entrance. Two old donkeys were tied up in the courtyard, only lazily raising their eyelids when people came.

Shen Fu negotiated and quickly secured two rooms—one for Ye Huang and Jin Shu with Bao'er, and another for Uncle Fu and Mo Shisan. Shen Fu himself would keep watch at night.

The room was simple, but fairly clean.

Jinshu brought hot water, and Yehuang wiped Bao'er's body and changed her diaper. The little one ate her fill of milk and quickly fell asleep again, her little fists loosely clenched, her breathing even.

A soft knock sounded on the door.

"Enter."

Uncle Fu led Mo Shisan in. Mo Shisan had changed into a clean set of clothes—Shen Fu's old clothes, slightly oversized, which made him look even thinner.

The wound on his shoulder had been re-bandaged, and although his face was still pale, the energy in his eyes had returned.

"Sit down." Ye Huang pointed to the bench beside the table.

Mo Shisan hesitated for a moment, but still sat down as instructed.

Uncle Fu closed the door and retreated into the shadows by the door, like a real old servant, but in that posture—if Mo Shisan made the slightest move, he could instantly snap the other's neck.

"Now you can tell me." Ye Huang poured a glass of warm water and pushed it towards him. "Who are you? Why are you being hunted? How much do you know about the salt tax?"

Mo Shisan gripped the water glass, his fingertips trembling slightly.

It's not fear.

It's that trembling feeling of surviving a disaster and finally daring to breathe a sigh of relief.

"My name is Mo Shisan," he said, his voice low and husky, "and I used to be a member of... Jiangnan Baixiaotang."

Bai Xiaotang.

Ye Huang's eyes flickered slightly.

She had seen this name in the intelligence gathered by Tingfeng Tower—the number one gossip organization in Jiangnan, established for nearly a century, with informants all over the country, from court secrets to street gossip, as long as you can afford it, there is no information they cannot find out.

But three years ago, Bai Xiaotang suddenly disappeared. Rumors circulated that they had offended someone they shouldn't have and were wiped out overnight.

"Are you a traitor to the Hundred Knowledge Hall?" Ye Huang asked.

"He's not a traitor," Mo Shisan said with a bitter smile. "He's... the only survivor."

There was a moment of silence in the room.

Even Uncle Fu by the door raised his eyes.

"Three years ago, Liu Chengming approached Baixiaotang." Mo Shisan's voice was low, as if he were talking about a long-ago nightmare. "He wanted the head of the hall to submit to the Liu family. From then on, Baixiaotang would only serve the Liu family. All intelligence would be reviewed by the Liu family before a decision was made on whether to sell it or not."

"The sect leader refused?"

"It was rejected." Mo Shisan closed his eyes. "The Hundred Knowledge Hall's century-old ancestral motto is: intelligence is sold for a price, not by taking sides. The hall master said that what the Liu family wants is to suppress dissent and control the court. If the Hundred Knowledge Hall complies, it will become the Liu family's weapon, no longer a neutral eye and ears."

"and then?"

"Then..." Mo Shisan opened his eyes, bloodshot. "Seven days later, the Bai Xiaotang headquarters caught fire. The fire was started by pouring oil on it from the outside. None of the thirty-seven brothers in the hall, including the hall master, were able to escape."

Jinshu covered her mouth, her eyes reddening.

Ye Huang remained calm, tapping her fingers lightly twice on the table: "How did you survive?"

"I wasn't in the main hall that night." Mo Shisan forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. "The hall master sent me to Yangzhou to deliver a secret report. When I returned... all that was left was a pile of charred remains."

He paused, his voice even hoarser: "I dug through the ruins for three days and only managed to find half of the hall master's token. Later I learned that it was the Azure Dragon Gang that did the dirty work, but the one who provided the money and manpower behind the scenes... was the Liu family's 'Dark Fragrance'."

"So you started investigating the Liu family?"

"Yes." Mo Shisan raised his eyes, his gaze burning with a stubborn light. "I don't believe in evil. The century-old foundation of Baixiaotang is gone just like that? I'm not reconciled. I went into hiding and infiltrated the Qinglong Gang, and then worked as an accountant in several merchants in Jiangnan. People from Baixiaotang are best at checking accounts, analyzing, and finding the truth in the numbers."

He took a deep breath: "Then I discovered the secret of the salt tax."

Ye Huang listened quietly.

"The salt tax in Jiangnan was 3.7 million taels short over three years. This money flowed to three places: the Liu family, thirteen officials in Jiangnan, and... the Prince Jing's mansion." Mo Shisan said slowly and deliberately, "Of that, 500,000 taels were recorded in the accounts as 'Special Funds for the Northern Army's Relief Funds,' but in reality, that money never left Jiangnan before it was completely divided up."

"Where's the evidence?"

"I have a copy of the ledger." Mo Shisan pulled a thin booklet from his pocket—the edges of the booklet were charred black, as if it had been snatched from a fire. "This is part of the general ledger copy, which I risked copying. The original should still be in Liu Chengming's hands, but this copy is enough to show the problem."

Ye Huang took the booklet and opened it.

The pages were yellowed and covered with dense numbers and codes. An ordinary person would only feel dizzy looking at them, but she had dealt with more complex encrypted intelligence in her previous life and could see the key points at a glance—some numbers didn't match, some fund flow markings were blurred, and there were several obvious signs of alteration.

"You became an accountant just to investigate this?" she asked.

"Yes." Mo Shisan nodded, "But I was still discovered. The Qinglong Gang recognized me as a remnant of the Baixiaotang, and Liu Chengming ordered me to be silenced. I fled for three days and finally hid in that forest, and then... I ran into the girl."

After he finished speaking, the room fell into a long silence.

Only occasionally did the oil lamp flame burst open, producing a faint crackling sound.

After a long while, Ye Huang closed the booklet.

"Mo Shisan," she looked at him, "do you want revenge?"

Mo Shisan was taken aback.

"I want to," he gritted his teeth. "I dream about it."

"What if I told you I could help you take revenge," Ye Huang said slowly, "but the price is that you have to work for me—do what you're best at, but the methods you use might be completely different from what you've learned over the past hundred years. Are you willing?"

Mo Shisan was stunned.

He looked at Ye Huang—a young woman who looked to be no more than twenty years old, holding a baby in her arms, dressed in plain clothes and with a simple hairpin, yet she said she would help him take revenge.

But then I recall that scene in the woods during the day...

Her method of killing, her composure, her ruthlessness—it was far beyond that of an ordinary person.

And that unfathomable old servant, that guard...

"Miss," Mo Shisan asked tentatively, "may I ask... who exactly are you?"

Ye Huang didn't answer, but instead took out a few sheets of paper from her small box.

The drawing on the paper was the structural diagram she had sketched on the carriage.

She spread the drawing out on the table and pushed it toward Mo Shisan.

"This is the intelligence organization I plan to establish, the concept of 'Listening Wind Tower'." She pointed to the first picture. "The headquarters will be located in Hangzhou, with twelve branch headquarters covering Jiangnan, Central Plains, Southwest, North, and East China Sea. Each branch headquarters will have a leader and several spies, divided into three levels: Eye of the Storm, Whisperer, and Shadow.

Mo Shisan's eyes gradually widened.

This structure... is far more refined and meticulous than the Hundred Knowledge Hall he was familiar with!

Ye Huang then pointed to the second image: "Intelligence transmission is divided into three levels. Level 1 is top secret, using coded carrier pigeons, with human verification on both fronts; Level 2 is confidential, using coded relay stations; Level 3 is ordinary information, which can be covered through civilian channels."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "For the cryptographic system, I plan to use a two-layer encryption. The first layer will correspond the chapters of the Book of Songs to numbers; the second layer will then correspond the numbers to specific substitution rules. The key will be changed every two weeks."

Mo Shisan's breathing became rapid.

This method...this method is brilliant! Bai Xiaotang usually uses coded language to send messages, but he had never heard of such a systematic code system before!

"And this too." Ye Huang pulled out the third image, which was covered with intricate grids and markings. "This is the intelligence analysis process. All the collected information is first classified as true or false, then categorized by relevance, and finally cross-referenced to find hidden patterns and trends."

She looked up at the stunned Mo Shisan: "Bai Xiaotang's method relies on human memory and guesswork based on experience. But what I want is a system, a process, and 'rules' that can be replicated and passed down."

Mo Shisan stared intently at those pictures.

His hands were shaking.

As an elite trained by Bai Xiaotang, he knew all too well the value of these diagrams! This wasn't just an improvement; it was a subversion! It was a complete reshaping of the rules of the intelligence industry!

"Young lady..." his voice trembled, "These...these you came up with yourself?"

"I suppose so." Ye Huang didn't explain further. "Now answer me, are you willing?"

Mo Shisan did not answer immediately.

He stared at the picture, then looked up at Ye Huang, then at the sleeping baby in her arms, and finally his gaze fell on the hunched old servant by the door.

Suddenly, he smiled.

As I laughed, tears rolled down my cheeks.

He pushed the stool aside, took two steps back, and then—

"Bang!"

He knelt down on both knees, his forehead hitting the ground heavily.

"Master!" His voice was hoarse, but every word was clear, "You saved Mo Shisan's life. From this day forward, Mo Shisan is willing to serve you like a dog or a horse, regardless of life or death!"

Ye Huang looked at him quietly.

After a long while, she got up, walked to him, and reached out her hand to help him up.

Get up.

Mo Shisan looked up, his eyes red-rimmed.

"I'm entrusting the Jiangnan branch of Tingfeng Tower to you," Ye Huang said. "I need you to set up the framework within three months. I'll provide the funding; you can choose the personnel yourself. But I want to see results."

"Your subordinate... obeys!"

"Also," Ye Huang paused, "continue investigating the salt tax ledgers. I don't need this copy; I need irrefutable evidence that can pinpoint Liu Chengming's guilt."

"yes!"

Mo Shisan kowtowed again, this time with genuine admiration.

The oil lamp was dim.

But in this dilapidated inn, a new era was quietly beginning.

Outside the door, Jinshu held a bowl of freshly cooked medicinal porridge, listening to the conversation inside, a slight smile playing on her lips.

The girl has something to do.

She needs to work even harder.

After all, the girl taught her to read and write, medicine and toxicology, housekeeping and accounting... not just to be a maid who serves tea and water.

She wanted to be the sharpest and most handy knife in the girl's hand.

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[Next Chapter Preview: Arrival in Hangzhou! Ye Huang has moved into the garden left by the late Empress Dowager—but why does this garden seem so strange?]